When you decide to buy property in Jamaica, you step into a conveyancing process designed to make your property transfer transparent and secure.
Under Jamaican real estate law, every transaction follows clear checks—from a full title search and contract review to final land registration at the land registry.
Whether it’s your very first purchase or you’re a seasoned investor, knowing what comes next lets you move forward with confidence.
Initiating Conveyancing and Engagement
Your journey starts by putting together the right legal team and gathering all the key documents.
This opening phase lays the groundwork so your lawyer can hit the ground running and keeps your conveyancing on track.
Choosing and Retaining a Conveyancing Lawyer
Pick a conveyancing lawyer with a strong track record in Jamaican property transactions and a deep understanding of local land laws.
Your lawyer becomes your strategic advisor—negotiating terms, guiding you through stamp duty calculations, and ensuring escrow services are lined up if you need them.
This expert support is essential for smooth due diligence and a solid contract review.
Signing the Retainer and Collecting Initial Documents
Once you’ve chosen your lawyer, you’ll sign a retainer agreement that spells out fees, services, and responsibilities.
You’ll then hand over documents like government-issued ID (for anti-money laundering checks), proof of address, the existing deed if you have it, and any survey plans.
Your lawyer will also ask the seller for an up-to-date Tax Compliance Certificate and a recent extract from the land registry.
Due Diligence and Title Verification
This is the investigative heart of the conveyancing process.
Thorough due diligence and a detailed land title search protect you from hidden risks and future disputes.
Conducting a Title Search and Encumbrance Check
Your lawyer will dive into the land registry to confirm the seller’s legal ownership and hunt down any encumbrances—mortgages, liens, court judgments, or caveats.
A clean title search means you can proceed without worrying about unexpected claims clouding your ownership.
Commissioning a Land Survey and Verifying Boundaries
If your new property comes with significant land or unclear boundaries, you’ll bring in a licensed surveyor.
They’ll match the physical boundaries on the ground to the official registry plan, spot any encroachments, and deliver a land survey report.
This step cuts the risk of boundary disputes after you’ve completed your purchase.
Preparing and Registering Transfer Documents
With due diligence wrapped up, your lawyer turns to drafting and registering the legal paperwork you’ll need to seal the deal.
While preparing the transfer deed and sale contract, they’ll arrange escrow services to safeguard your deposit and work out your closing costs—stamp duty, land registration fees, legal fees, and any other charges.
Drafting Deeds, Affidavits, and Contracts
Your lawyer will draft the transfer deed, affidavits of title, and the Agreement for Sale.
The sale contract spells out the purchase price, deposit, closing date, and any special conditions you’ve negotiated.
Affidavits confirm the seller’s identity and their right to transfer the property.
A careful contract review by both sides makes sure every detail is accurate before you sign.
Execution Before a Notary Public
All transfer documents must be signed in front of a notary public (or Justice of the Peace), who certifies the signatures.
This notarisation step prevents fraud and guarantees the documents are legally enforceable when they reach the National Land Agency.
Submission to the National Land Agency for Registration
Finally, your lawyer compiles the executed deed, notarised affidavits, the stamp duty receipt, and all the required forms for submission to the National Land Agency.
As Jamaica’s official land registry, the NLA checks everything complies with real estate law.
Once they complete land registration and confirm payment of government fees, you receive a new Certificate of Title in your name.
That certificate is your proof of ownership—and your journey through Jamaican conveyancing is complete!